Now Mi Lords want iPadzzzz

SHAMELESS peers are demanding taxpayers buy them swanky iPads — which could
cost up to £380,000.

Lords and ladies — who are often spotted snoozing on the benches — want to
follow in the footsteps of MPs who now get the Apple gadgets for free.

Freedom of Information requests revealed the issue was repeatedly raised in
responses to a recent House of Lords survey. One peer complained his
taxpayer-funded BlackBerry was “awkward”, adding: “Time to go iPad?”

Another wrote: “If we had iPads we could take those into the chamber and would
not need endless paper copies.”

Further remarks included: “Would prefer an iPad to the Dell stuff.” One peer
even called for the tablets to be given to unpaid helpers, saying: “If we
can’t have staff paid for by the House we need excellent IT support for
ourselves AND volunteers including iPhone, iPad, notebook(s) and PC.”

More than 70 MPs have claimed for iPads on expenses. But supplying all 760
peers with the devices — worth around £500 each — would cost an estimated
£380,000.

Robert Oxley, from the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Given how little some Lords
are actually in Parliament why do they all need the latest iPad?”

The peers’ demands came as the Lords Information Committee decided they CAN
now choose an iPad to replace their computer if it breaks down.

A House of Lords spokesman said: “The Information Committee has agreed that
members of the House of Lords can in future choose an iPad to assist them in
their parliamentary work instead of a laptop or other computer.”

It emerged this week that David Cameron has accepted a free iPad from Apple.